Identity of hunter who shot sleeping lion revealed as 64-year-old trophy hunter from Illinois
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
The man who shot and killed a sleeping lion in a shocking video that went viral has been unmasked.
Guy Gorney, a 64-year-old trophy hunter from Manhattan, Illinois, is the man wielding the weapon in the footage that has shocked the world, according to the Daily Mail.
This ‘hunter’ sneaked up on a SLEEPING Lion and killed it!
How brave, how sporting
RT if you want a GLOBAL ban on ALL #trophyhunting NOW! pic.twitter.com/ou6R6PaOmS— Danny smith (@doglab) March 16, 2019
The disturbing video, that was reportedly filmed in Zimbabwe in 2011, shows a defenceless lion sleeping as Gorney lines up the kill.
As shots are fired, the lion growls in shock and pain, confused as to what has just happened – before he is shot twice more and killed.
A gamekeeper is then seen congratulating Gorney on his kill, telling him that he has just killed “a very nice lion”.
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He further congratulates Gorney, shaking his hand on the kill.
The video was condemned after it went viral on Twitter:
I honestly hope that hunter suffers the most horrific of deaths possible.
— Paul Jeronovic (@GwladysStLaah) March 16, 2019
A sleeping lion, wow what a big man! 🤬
— truthwillout (@Itoldusolol) March 16, 2019
In my book that should be 5 years in jail. Grotesque.
— Mike Maxson FA Intermediary. (@MikeMaxson10) March 17, 2019
Hope the internet does its thing and ruins this person’s life.
— Sam Kotecha (@sameerkotecha) March 16, 2019
TRASH TOURIST HUNTER GIVEN A HIGH POWER RIFLE AND SCOPE TAKES A DARING SHOT WHILE THE KING OF THE JUNGLE IS SLEEPING. THE HUNTER EXECUTES THE LION AND GETS A PAT ON THE BACK FOR HIS COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS GIVEN TO THE GUIDE. SICKENING AND SENSELESS PRACTICE TO SAY THE LEAST !!
— LEONIDAS SPARTA (@LEONIDA89059547) March 19, 2019
Gorney’s love for hunting – which is not illegal – has previously been well documented.
In 2015 he told CBS that he had no remorse for his list of 70 kills – that included an elephant, rhino and leopard.
He told them: “I have a hard time understanding, if you have a picture of somebody with a deer, nobody seems to care.
“But if it’s an elephant, it’s a big problem. If it’s a lion – especially now – it’s a huge problem.
“But to me, either way, I’ve stopped a beating heart.”
Arguing that his hunting can be called conservation, he added: “You can say, why’d you shoot a lion?
“I love zebra, so shooting a lion probably saves 70 zebra a year, give or take. There’s all these kinds of balances in nature.”
Yahoo News UK has contacted Gorney for a comment.